Labor

Workers organized with UNITE HERE local 9 at Vancouver’s Hilton Hotel are in struggle for a fair union contract. Their wages are so low that some have to rely on food baskets to feed their families. Their medical benefits are so expensive that less than 5% of the workers are on the plan. Co-host Jamie Partridge brings us testimony from the Jobs with Justice Workers Rights Board hearing held at the Vancouver Library last Thursday.

Also, in honor of Black history month, we will talk with Dr. Antiono Pastrana Jr. (Department of Sociology at City University of New York) about the interconnection between Race and Sexual;/Romantic Identity

Hear this special re-scheduled broadcast of Labor Radio as part of KBOO's Radiozine broadcast. This show is about how people in Oregon are taking action on two fronts. First we speak with Hanaa Vaandering, a physical education teacher and vice president of the Oregon Education Association, about a recent action in Salem and the fight to improve our schools. Then we speak with Dustin Hawks, an activist with the Longview Planning Group of Occupy, about port mobilizations and taking on corporations.

Tonight we talk about conflict minerals, the historic exploitation of Congo and the role that Western nations
and multi-national corporations continue to play in the exploitation of the resources of Africa.

We hear from many people, including Aaron Hall, from the enough Project, Kambale musavuli, spokes person from Friends of the Congo,Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu (recorded before the senate committee on foreign relations on May 13th, 2009), and more.

Tonight's show is about how people in Oregon are taking action on two fronts. First we speak with Hanaa Vaandering, a physical education teacher and vice president of the Oregon Education Association, about today's action in Salem and the fight to improve our schools.

Tonight on Circle a Radio, we talk about conflict minerals, the historic exploitation of Congo and the role that Western nations and multinational corporations continue to play in the exploitation of the resources of Africa.

We hear from many, including

Kambale Musavuli, a spokesperson and student coordinator for Friends of the Congo,

Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu, a radio reporter, and founder of South Kivu's Association of Women Journalists, and

Noam Chomsky said of AmericaBeyond Capitalism by Gar Alperowitz that it provides "concrete and feasible ways to reverse the ominous course of the past several decades and to open the way to a vibrant democracy with a sustainable economy that can satisfy human needs, not least the need to control one’s work and life." Here Alperowitz talks with the Old Mole's Bill Resnick about his book and about the growth of non-capitalist, worker controlled enterprises.

Laurie Mercier talks with Margaret Butler, director and co-founder of the Portland-area labor coalition, Jobs with Justice, which just turned 20 years old. Butler talks a little about what JwJ does in general and recent actions, advocacy and campaigns they've done.